Industry News

New WA Bull Bar Standard Provides Industry Clarity

14 August 2019

The Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association welcomes an updated
Circular to Industry (CI) issued by the Western Australian Department of
Transport (WA DoT) for manufacturers, suppliers and fitters of Bull Bars, Roo
Bars and Nudge Bars.

The new CI has revised the standard around safety requirements applying
to the design, specification and fitment of Vehicle Frontal Protection Systems
(VFPS) to vehicles on WA roads manufactured after 1st July 2019.

In what will be welcome news for the VFPS industry, the new CI provides
AAAA members clarity and reassurance around what is both legal and safe, so
they can continue to offer high quality products and services in this area. While the CI does not introduce any new
requirements to bull bar design, it does clear up previously ambiguous areas.

AAAA has been actively involved in the CI update process on behalf of VFPS
members and believes the new standard provides a balance between the protection
of vehicle occupants from animal strikes and the safety of pedestrians.

The consultative approach WA DoT engineers entered with the VFPS industry
to ensure consumer safety and product integrity is a great example of what can
be achieved with open lines of communication between government, and industry
stakeholders.

“We work
with a lot of regulators across the country and I have to say the WA DoT
engineers were terrific. It’s always an important balance to maintain regulations
that meet safety requirements and make sense to vehicle owners. When
vehicle standards make sense to owners, they are more likely to receive a high
level of compliance,” said Lesley Yates, Director Advocacy, Marketing and
Research for the AAAA.

To see the updated WA Circular to Industry, head to the WA Department of Transport website, or for AAAA members, the document is also available in our members area HERE.